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FILE - In this April 9, 2018 file photo, President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with national security adviser John Bolton in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington at the start of a meeting with military leaders. Trump has fired national security adviser John Bolton. Trump tweeted Tuesday that he told Bolton Monday night that his services were no longer needed at the White House.

FILE - In this Nov. 27, 2018 file photo, National security adviser John Bolton speaks to reporters during the daily press briefing in the Brady press briefing room at the White House in Washington. Trump says he fired national security adviser John Bolton, says they 'disagreed strongly' on many issues.

FILE - In this April 18, 2018 file photo, National security adviser John Bolton, left, listens to President Donald Trump, far right, speak during a working lunch with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Trump' s private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla. Also at the meeting are from left, White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow, third left, and Vice President Mike Pence, second left. Trump has fired national security adviser John Bolton. Trump tweeted Tuesday that he told Bolton Monday night that his services were no longer needed at the White House.

In this May 22, 2018, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, left, meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-In in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, as national security adviser John Bolton, right, watches. Trump says he fired national security adviser John Bolton, says they 'disagreed strongly' on many issues.

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2019 file photo, from left, National Security Adviser John Bolton, accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and President Donald Trump, speaks before Trump signs a National Security Presidential Memorandum to launch the "Women's Global Development and Prosperity" Initiative in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Trump has fired national security adviser John Bolton. Trump tweeted Tuesday that he told Bolton Monday night that his services were no longer needed at the White House.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday abruptly forced out John Bolton, his hawkish national security adviser with whom he had strong disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and a cascade of other global challenges.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday forced out John Bolton, his hawkish national security adviser with whom he had significant disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and a cascade of other global challenges.

President Donald Trump explains he wasn't seeing eye-to-eye with ousted hawkish national security adviser John Bolton. The sudden shake-up comes as the president faces pressing decisions on difficult foreign policy issues.

Trump says he's considering 5 candidates to replace Bolton

FILE - In this April 9, 2018 file photo, President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with national security adviser John Bolton in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington at the start of a meeting with military leaders. Trump has fired national security adviser John Bolton. Trump tweeted Tuesday that he told Bolton Monday night that his services were no longer needed at the White House.

Susan Walsh

FILE - In this Nov. 27, 2018 file photo, National security adviser John Bolton speaks to reporters during the daily press briefing in the Brady press briefing room at the White House in Washington. Trump says he fired national security adviser John Bolton, says they 'disagreed strongly' on many issues.

Manuel Balce Ceneta

High profile staff changes in the Trump administration;

k.vineys

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin answer questions during a briefing on terrorism financing at the White House Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, in Washington.

Alex Brandon

FILE - In this April 18, 2018 file photo, National security adviser John Bolton, left, listens to President Donald Trump, far right, speak during a working lunch with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Trump' s private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla. Also at the meeting are from left, White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow, third left, and Vice President Mike Pence, second left. Trump has fired national security adviser John Bolton. Trump tweeted Tuesday that he told Bolton Monday night that his services were no longer needed at the White House.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais

In this May 22, 2018, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, left, meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-In in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, as national security adviser John Bolton, right, watches. Trump says he fired national security adviser John Bolton, says they 'disagreed strongly' on many issues.

Evan Vucci

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2019 file photo, from left, National Security Adviser John Bolton, accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and President Donald Trump, speaks before Trump signs a National Security Presidential Memorandum to launch the "Women's Global Development and Prosperity" Initiative in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Trump has fired national security adviser John Bolton. Trump tweeted Tuesday that he told Bolton Monday night that his services were no longer needed at the White House.

Andrew Harnik

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin answer questions during a briefing on terrorism financing at the White House Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, in Washington.

Alex Brandon

President Donald Trump on Tuesday abruptly forced out John Bolton, his hawkish national security adviser with whom he had strong disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and a cascade of other global challenges.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says "I'm never surprised," when asked if he was shocked about the sudden departure of National Security Adviser John Bolton.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday forced out John Bolton, his hawkish national security adviser with whom he had significant disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and a cascade of other global challenges.

President Donald Trump talks about a plan to ban most flavored e-cigarettes, in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019, in Washington.

Evan Vucci

President Donald Trump explains he wasn't seeing eye-to-eye with ousted hawkish national security adviser John Bolton. The sudden shake-up comes as the president faces pressing decisions on difficult foreign policy issues.

"John wasn't in line with what we were doing," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump insisted that he had a good relationship with Bolton, but also said, "He wasn't getting along with people in the administration that I consider very important."

"I hope we've left in good stead," Trump said. "Maybe we have and maybe we haven't."

Trump did not name the five candidates, saying only that they were "highly qualified." Deputy national security adviser Charles Kupperman, a former Reagan administration official and defense contracting executive, is running the National Security Council on an acting basis. Trump said he would name a replacement for Bolton next week.

Since joining the administration in the spring of last year, Bolton has been skeptical about the president's whirlwind rapprochement with North Korea, and recently has become a vocal internal critic of potential talks between Trump and leaders of the Afghan Taliban and Iran.

Bolton is a hardliner on Iran and has been driving Trump's maximum-pressure campaign on Tehran. He encouraged Trump to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal and ratchet-up sanctions that are crippling Iran's economy. But Bolton is against Trump's decision to open a door to direct talks with Iran — possibly meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the U.N. General Assembly later this month — to resolve the conflict involving Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Asked if he would ease sanctions on Iran — something Bolton would not have advised — to entice Iran into a meeting, Trump didn't say yes and didn't say no.

Trump also denounced Bolton for a comment he made about resolving the nuclear standoff with North Korea.

Bolton pointed to the disarmament of Libya in 2003 and 2004 in exchange for sanctions relief as a model for a possible deal with North Korea. For the North, that was a deeply provocative comparison, because Libyan autocrat Moammar Gadhafi was killed following U.S.-supported military action in his country about seven years after giving up his fledgling nuclear program.

"John is somebody that I actually got along with very well," Trump said, then added that Bolton had made some "very big mistakes."

"When he talked about the Libyan model for Kim Jong Un — that was not a good statement to make," Trump said. "You just take a look at what happened with Qaddafi."

Trump said he didn't blame Kim for being upset about the remark. "That was not a good statement to make and it set us back" in the U.S. discussions with North Korea, Trump said.

Trump said he also disagreed with Bolton's support of the war in Iraq and his zealous campaign to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

"I disagreed with John Bolton on his attitudes on Venezuela," Trump said. "I thought he was way out of line."

Trump said he told Bolton Monday night his services were no longer needed at the White House and asked Bolton to submit his resignation Tuesday morning. Bolton said he offered to resign Monday and that the president said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow."

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